SHOPPING IN MYSORE

As is the case with most cities, Mysore is also under the invasion of consumerism and modern day commercial development. With every passing day, the city is witnessing gradual growth in its shopping culture. Call it the new age trend of shop till drop or the increase in disposable income, Mysore has been high on a shopping spree. The locally produced items of the place find mention in the things to carry back home list. These items include silk sarees, sculptures, sandalwood products, Mysore betel leaves, Coffee powder, Mysore rosewood inlay artefacts, Mysore painting, Channapatna toys and incense sticks. The major shopping areas of Mysore include Devaraja Urs Road, Sayyaji Rao Road, Gandhi Square and KR Circle.

Apart from its many tourist attractions, what makes Mysore one of the most amazing places to visit is the idea of Mysore silk sarees shopping. If there’s anything that makes Mysore one of the most amazing destinations for shopaholic travellers is the Mysore silk shopping. Mysore and shopping are just inseparable. It is one of the few traditional places, unlike Goa or Varkala, where you are buying straight from the source, which guarantees authentic products and genuine prices. Most women go there already thinking, I’ve got to save up for some Mysore Silk! I can’t forget to buy the incense! Undoubtedly, these are famous but then there are many other things that you can buy in this beautiful city. When it comes to the question what to shop in Mysore, we are here to give you the best answers for this. One of the things that make the Mysore silk shopping experience so amazing in Mysore is the fact that you can tour the only silk factory in Mysore to see how it’s made and buy it yourself then and there. You can’t take cameras in since this is a secret operation! It’s the most well-known silk in India and maybe the world. There is actual gold spun into it. If you can’t afford a sari you can buy a small scarf. Another thing that makes Mysore an amazing shopping are the sandalwood products. There is only one place in Mysore where you can buy authentic sandalwood products, and that is Cauvery Emporium. It's run by the government and prices are fixed. The moment you enter the emporium, you will be greeted with the pleasant fragrance of sandalwood. There is a range of sandalwood products that you can buy here, such as sandalwood oil, billet (raw piece), idols and figurines of animals etc.

If you travel all the way to Mysore and don’t shop for the amazing sculptures available in this place, you will surely miss out on something beautiful. The guys at Mandi Mohalla have ancestors who made these 'gods' for the royal families of the land. The tradition has continued over the decades, and you can watch and photograph them at work. They do not mind the curious onlookers admiring their work and will allow you to film them in action if you want. It's amazing to see them at work, turning a block of stone into a gorgeous Lord Ganesha! If you wish to buy these sculptures, you will have ample choices in terms of designs and sizes. You can walk down the narrow alleys of Mysore and find rooms with 10-20 people making traditional wooden tables and designs. I found a very cute one near Hotel Prakash on M. K. Street. You can watch the table tops being made from the very beginning when the men start to bend and form the wood. Sketches are made on the wood to tell a story, and a popular one in Mysore is Dasara. What was once filled in with ivory is now filled with plastic that looks like ivory. Next is the marquetry part where they lay different shades of veneer to colour the people in the story.